(a) Rates are age-standardised.(b) Adjusted to a common basis for the three disability surveys of 1988, 1993 and 1998. As a result, the national estimate for 1998 is not the same as that shown in the State summary table.

Reference periods: All health status data and causes of death data are for the calendar year.

CAUSES OF DEATH

CAUSES OF DEATH

Units

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Death rates per 100,000 population -

Leading causes(a)

Cancer

rate

184

183

181

181

181

180

181

r177

177

171

168

Ischaemic heart disease

rate

199

200

186

176

177

162

161

151

145

r138

128

Stroke

rate

79

78

72

69

67

65

67

63

61

56

53

Selected cancers(a)

Male lung cancer

rate

65

64

60

60

59

57

59

56

55

52

53

Female lung cancer

rate

17

18

17

18

18

19

19

19

20

19

19

Female breast cancer

rate

27

27

27

27

25

27

27

26

25

24

23

Prostate cancer

rate

31

32

32

31

34

35

35

33

33

29

29

Skin cancer

rate

6

6

7

6

7

7

7

7

7

6

6

Heart disease and diabetes(a)

Male ischaemic heart disease

rate

271

271

250

237

235

219

216

204

196

r183

171

Female ischaemic heart disease

rate

143

145

136

127

130

117

118

109

105

101

93

Diabetes mellitus

rate

13

13

13

13

14

14

15

14

15

14

13

Accidents and suicide

Motor vehicle traffic accident(a)

rate

19

17

15

13

12

11

11

11

11

10

9

Male 15-24 years motor vehicle traffic accident

rate

55

49

42

38

31

33

30

32

32

29

27

Female 15-24 years motor vehicle traffic accident

rate

18

18

14

12

12

10

10

11

8

10

9

Suicide(a)

rate

13

13

13

14

13

12

13

13

13

15

14

Male 15-24 years suicide

rate

28

24

27

27

27

25

27

25

25

31

27

Female 15-24 years suicide

rate

4

3

4

6

6

4

4

6

4

7

6

AIDS(a)

AIDS-related

rate

1

2

3

3

4

4

4

4

3

2

1

Reference periods: All health status data and causes of death data are for the calendar year.

RISK FACTORS

Units

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Immunisation status

Children not fully immunised aged 3 months to 6 years (of children 3 months to 6 years)

%

n.a.

n.a.

45.9

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

47.9

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Drinking and smoking

Alcohol: apparent consumption per person per day

mls

30.7

30.2

29.9

28.6

r27.2

r26.4

27.1

r26.5

r26.0

r26.2

26.3

Tobacco: apparent consumption per person per day

grams

5.8

5.5

5.6

5.2

5.3

4.7

4.3

4.1

3.9

3.9

3.8

Diet and exercise

Total fats: apparent consumption per person per day

grams

55.8

55.4

54.5

53.5

53.3

52.2

53.0

51.8

r52.6

r49.9

51.4

Persons who do not exercise for sport, recreation or fitness (of persons 18 years and over)(a)

%

n.a.

n.a.

35.8

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

34.0

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

(a) Rates are age-standardised.Reference periods: Immunisation status data are at April. Apparent consumption is at end of June.

SERVICES

Units

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Services

Hospital separations (per 1,000 population)

rate

214

n.a.

225

n.a.

237

247

260

274

285

289

299

Hospital beds (per 1,000 population)

no.

5.3

5.2

5.0

5.0

4.5

4.4

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.2

4.2

Average length of stay in hospital

days

6.2

5.9

5.6

5.1

4.8

4.8

4.7

4.5

4.3

4.2

4.1

Doctors (per 100,000 population)

no.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

225

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

241

n.a.

n.a.

Nursing home and hostel beds (per 1,000 populationaged 70 years and over)

no.

98.4

97.2

95.1

94.0

r93.7

r93.1

r91.2

90.0

r91.1

r89.4

87.5

Medicare usage

Average Medicare services processed per person(a)

no.

8.2

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.9

9.7

10.0

10.3

10.5

10.5

10.6

Average Medicare services processed per male(a)

no.

6.6

6.8

6.9

6.9

7.2

7.8

8.2

8.4

8.7

8.7

8.7

Average Medicare services processed per female(a)

no.

9.8

10.2

10.1

10.1

10.6

11.5

11.8

12.2

12.4

12.4

12.4

Average Medicare services processed per person aged 65 years and over

no.

14.8

15.2

15.3

15.4

16.4

17.9

18.8

19.6

20.5

20.9

21.4

Proportion of Medicare services used by persons aged 65 years and over

%

19.7

19.6

20.0

20.6

21.0

21.4

22.0

22.5

23.0

23.6

24.2

Reference periods: Services data (except doctors per 100,000 population which is at census date) are for the year ended 30 June).

EXPENDITURE

Units

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Expenditure

Persons with private health insurance

%

47.0

45.5

44.5

43.7

41.0

39.5

37.2

34.9

33.6

31.9

30.5

Total health expenditure per person per year (1997-98 reference year)

$

n.a.

n.a.

1,967

1,978

2,021

2,102

2,159

2,215

2,385

2,460

2,523

Total health expenditure as a proportion of GDP

%

r7.5

r7.4

r7.5

r7.9

r8.1

r8.2

r8.2

r8.2

r8.2

r8.3

8.3

Reference periods: Expenditure data (except private health insurance data which are at the June quarter) are for the year ended 30 June).